“I always give people a hard time when they say it,” LeMahieu said Tuesday. “But I realize they mean it as a compliment.”

In a sport defined by maddening ebbs and flows, LeMahieu is consistent. He plays the game like a textbook come to life. Need a bunt or a groundball to move a runner from second base? He’s the guy. Want a subtle shift to produce a crisply executed double play? No one in camp is better than LeMahieu, who committed only three errors in 474 chances last season.

“He’s very reliable,” manager Walt Weiss said. “I know that sounds generic, but there’s a ton of value in that. He has great instincts and constantly does the right thing.”

LeMahieu arrived at camp this spring in an interesting place. He’s the starter — so there’s a predictable schedule and fewer bus trips — but he’s not established. He needs to improve offensively to evolve into an impact player. LeMahieu, 25, batted .280 last season but delivered just 25 extra-base hits. Defined by an opposite-field swing he refined hitting inside during high school in Michigan, LeMahieu is learning to turn on pitches.

At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, he has sneaky power.

“I know they are looking to pitch me inside,” LeMahieu said. “After facing some of the pitchers over and over, they fall into patterns too. If I can surprise them and pick counts to pull some pitches, that’s only going to help me.”

LeMahieu was a camp casualty last spring, optioned to Triple-A as the club kept Reid Brignac on the final roster. LeMahieu forced his way back with a .364 average in Triple-A, taking over at second base for the slumping Josh Rutledge. LeMahieu steadied the position, gaining some Gold Glove consideration.

“He’s a winning player,” reliever Adam Ottavino said.

The trait is not an accident. LeMahieu’s father was a high school basketball coach, and coached his son in baseball growing up. LeMahieu played constantly as a kid in Visalia, Calif., then spent huge chunks of his summer on travel teams after the family moved to Wisconsin before settling in Michigan. Fundamentals weren’t suggestions.

“I learned to play the game a certain way,” LeMahieu said.

He starred at LSU — he wears a gray Southeastern Conference undershirt for games — and was a solid, yet expendable minor-league infielder when the Chicago Cubs acquired third baseman Ian Stewart. Entering his third season in Colorado, LeMahieu’s goals have changed. Making a roster isn’t the zenith.

He wants to win. That never gets old.

Or boring.

“We have brought in a lot of good players. And the guys that are back really compete. We went through the bad, about as bad as it gets,” LeMahieu said. “No one really respects us. We are approaching it that way. At some point when you get punched in the face enough, you punch back.”

Rockies recap

Giants 3, Rockies 2

At Salt River Fields

Hits: The Rockies’ offense has been a whisper the past three games, totaling three runs. Ryan Wheeler prevented a second consecutive shutout with a single, scoring Brandon Barnes. Barnes, competing for an outfield spot, is hitting .500 this spring in 10 at-bats. … Reliever Matt Belisle rebounded in his second outing with a scoreless appearance. … Outfielder Jason Pridie blooped a single to left in the ninth to cut the Giants’ deficit to 3-2.

Misses: Closer LaTroy Hawkins missed his spots in his first spring game, elevating his fastball. The Giants tagged him for two runs. The damage included a double by first baseman Brandon Belt.

What’s next: Rockies at Rangers, 1:05 p.m.; Rockies at Cubs, 1:05 p.m.; Franklin Morales, competing for the fifth spot in the rotation, starts against Texas. Tyler Chatwood, who is rounding into form after having bone chips removed from his elbow over the winter, faces the Cubs.

Troy is a former Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies beat writer for The Denver Post. He joined the news organization in 2002 as the Rockies' beat writer and became a Broncos beat writer in 2014 before assuming the lead role ahead of the 2015 season. He left The Post in 2015.

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